Until Yesterday
by YH
Summary: A man struggles with the demise of his relationship.


_I found a letter on my dresser last night_

_About a baby on the way_

_It made me suspicious of another guy_

'_Cause you couldn't tell me to my face_

_And so I asked to find out if I was right_

_That's when you eyes filled up with rage_

_Now nine months go by, the baby's not my blood type_

_Look at the mess you've made_

The joy he felt was overwhelming. He couldn't believe it. It was finally happening after months and months of trying. After all the poking, prodding, and testing, they had done it. They were having a baby. A baby. A baby he could love from day one. Not one hidden from him or kept from him. No one ashamed of him. But one he could love freely, openly, whom he could be proud of and him or her of him. His heart leapt. He was going to be a dad. He was sitting on top of the world. A loving, intelligent, beautiful wife and a little one on the way.

_Ah, you know I love so much_

_Ah, girl I would never hurt you_

_But if you play with fire then you'll get burned_

_When will you learn now it's your turn_

_Remember all the lies you sold me_

_Made me feel so sad and lonely_

_Now your fairytale's unfolding_

_Nothing left to say_

'_Cause I love you all the way until yesterday_

_Oh, until yesterday_

For days he had been waiting and waiting and waiting. He had dropped hints, started like discussions in order to get her to reveal the truth, but nothing worked. She kept mum. He pondered her reasoning. Was she trying to protect him again? Early on in their relationship, he had noticed little things that were off. It was rarely anything big and if not for his past profession he wouldn't have noticed, but he had. And him being him, he had to confront her.

After asserting some pressure, since his lover could be particularly stubborn, she confessed everything. When he had questioned her about the secret keeping, she had told him she wasn't keeping "secrets" per se. She just wasn't bothering him with insignificant things or telling him things that would or could hurt him or anger him. All she wanted to do was protect him, like he did her because she felt not enough people had done that for him and she wanted- - needed to.

His heart had overflowed with even more love for his woman. He had thanked her for protecting him, but he had also told her he wanted them to have an open dialogue about anything and everything. He had learned from past relationships that nothing killed love faster than secrets. They had both agreed to work on finding the balance between being honest and protecting each other.

Was she trying to protect him now in case she suffered a miscarriage? In a previous relationship, she had lost a baby and he knew it still haunted her. Stayed with her. Didn't she understand he wanted to be there for her? To share her pain and struggles about her fear their baby wouldn't survive like her other child? Hadn't he proven to her, made it known to her that he could and desired to share all burdens?

He knew that although the doctors couldn't find a cause for their infertility that she had blamed herself for their problems, particularly since he had a child of his own. Her mother and doctor step-father had assured her this wasn't so, but he knew she didn't believe that in her heart of hearts. He had to find a way to get her to open up because every moment she didn't made his trust in her erode a little bit more.

_Damn_

_Well can you help me understand_

_Why you would keep me while you're sexing with another man_

_Or was it just a one-night stand_

_Or was it something far more grand than what we had_

'_Cause_

Elation. His elation was elusive and that pissed him off royally. His baby kicked and moved inside his or her mother's womb at the sound of his voice, at the feel of his touch. He had spent many nights imagining this miraculous event or something similar, yet his joy was diminished by his wife because she had withheld the truth for so long.

It wasn't until the second trimester that she had informed him of her pregnancy. He had to stop himself from laughing in her face. Did she really think he hadn't known? That he, who was intimately, very intimately aware of every inch of her body wouldn't notice the changes? The sensitivity of her nipples, her swollen ankles, the broadening of her hips. Hell, even the

texture of her skin had changed. He had been amazed that she had been completely unaware of his knowledge of her pregnancy. She, a former cop. Her lack of awareness had raised red flags. Her astute perception was one of the first things he had noticed about her and had been a big turn on. He now knew for sure there was another reason besides her early miscarriage as to why she hadn't told him about the baby. And he was determined to find out why.

_Ah, you know I love you so much_

_Ah, I know your daddy taught you better_

_But if you play with fire then you'll get burned_

_When will you learn now it's your turn_

_Remember all the lies you sold me_

_Made me feel so sad and lonely_

_Now your fairytale's unfolding_

_Nothing left to say_

'_Cause I love you all the way until yesterday_

"Come on baby. We're almost there," he encouraged.

She grimaced and nodded as she gripped his hand tighter and pushed. He wiped the sweat from her brow as he counted down from ten.

"The baby is crowning!" the doctor exclaimed.

Catching her breath, she smiled up at him and he returned the smile.

"One more big push!" the gynecologist/obstetrician commanded.

He watched as she bore down and pushed with all her might.

"Congratulations! It's a boy!"

He leaned over and kissed his exhausted wife.

"Dad, would you like to cut the cord?" the doctor asked.

"Yes."

He kissed his wife's hand and laid it on the bed. Taking the scissors from the doctor, he followed the directions to a "t" and cut the umbilical cord.

"Dad, take him to mom," the doctor suggested, placing the newborn in his arms.

The moment the boy was placed in his arms, the first time he looked at the quiet infant, he instantly knew this long awaited child was not his son. Neil Winters was a dead man, he thought as he kissed the baby's head and gave him to his mother.

_Ah, you know I love you so much, ohh_

_Ah, your daddy should have taught you better_

_But if you play with fire then you'll get burned_

_When will you learn now it's your turn_

_Remember all the lies you sold me_

_Made me feel so sad and lonely_

_Now your fairytale's unfolding_

_Nothing left to say_

_Oh_

He knew she knew the truth. He had a twenty-four hour tail on her. He had had access to the test results before she. The results confirmed what he had already known. The boy wasn't biologically his, but in his heart and to the rest of the world Junior was his and his alone.

And with the results in his hand, the final proof of her betrayal, it was now time for punishment. As he rocked his son to sleep, the two evil doers, his betrayer and her accomplice were being arrested.

He had discovered that Neil would be in Rio de Janeiro on a business trip. Coincidentally his South American liquor suppliers had requested a meeting at the same time. He had asked his beloved to go in his place. She had been reluctant to leave the baby and belatedly she added him. He had played his role beautifully and told her he felt she really deserved a break from full-time motherhood and he wanted to have a guys weekend with his son. She had finally relented and off she went.

She had surprised him by waiting a full day before she met up with her lover. While she lay in another man's bed, she would call and check on him and the baby. She had the audacity to act as if she cared. The anger that coursed through his body as he played his role as the loving husband almost had him getting on the first plane to Rio and killing them both. But it was as if Junior sensed the change in his mood and the baby cried, cooed, had done whatever it had taken to get his attention and remind him of what was important. So for the sake of his baby, he continued the act.

Upon entering the US, the finest grade of cocaine was found in Mr. Winter's suitcase and a small usable amount was found in his wife's, Josephine Watts Gannon, purse. And while they protested and screamed their innocence, the Brazilian police had sworn statements from informants talking about the Americans buying drugs for fun. He was sure with some high-priced lawyers, neither his wife nor her lover would do more than five years in prison. And he would be the most supportive husband, hiring a lawyer, sitting in the courtroom during the trial, visiting her in prison. He had even worked on his outraged act for when he came face to face with the prosecutors.

By the time Neil and Josie got themselves free, their lives and careers would be utterly destroyed. Well, that was if Neil made it out of prison alive. If Josie made it out unharmed, it would only be due to the fact that she had given him, Randall James Gannon, Junior.

As if on cue, Junior cried and he put his thoughts of his unfaithful wife and her lover aside and attended to the needs of the single most important person in his life.

_I love you all the way until yesterday_

_Remember all the lies you told me_

_Made me feel so sad and lonely_

_Now your fairytale's unfolding_

_Nothing left to say_

_Nothing left to say_

'_Cause I loved you all the way_

_All the way until yesterday_


End file.
